The present invention relates to processed foods made of iodine enriched wheat four. By eating those foods processed in accordance with this invention such as, for example, in the form of bread, cakes, cookies, noodles, or the like, diseases which may be caused as a result of an iodine shortage can be eliminated or prevented in those people whose iodine intake tends to be at a low level. By blending a small quantity of extracts from sea weeds, such as, for example, in the group of Laminaria, or the residue of such extracts, into wheat flour used for the production of such foods as stated above, it is possible to intake iodine easily without any sense of incongruity.
Furthermore, since the extracts or the residue of such extracts are natural food products, absolute safety is assured. Iodine is an element intensively existing within the thyroid gland of the human body and constitutes a component of thyroid hormones. A shortage of iodine may cause struma, hypothyroidism, or the like, with unfavorable symptoms such as, for example, slower reflection of the nervous system, obesity, sluggishness, fatigue, depression, or the like.
Among the foods consumed in the world, food produced from wheat flour such as, for example, bread, cakes, cookies, noodles, or the like are usually eaten in large quantities, regardless of racial and regional differences. However, the iodine content within wheat flour is only approximately 0.01 mg per 100 g. Accordingly, the iodine content of processed foods made from normal wheat flour is also low.
In general, sea weeds contain a high percentage of iodine. The iodine content of Laminaria Japonica is higher than that of other general sea weeds and may be up to 500 mg of iodine per 100 g of dried material. People living within coastal regions often have the opportunity to eat sea weeds. Accordingly, they can avoid unfavorable effects resulting from a shortage of iodine since iodine is routinely ingested into the body without the need for any supplemental intake. On the other hand, people living within regions remote from coastal regions do not have such opportunities to eat sea weeds. Accordingly, thyroid disfunction caused by iodine shortage may be observed.